Convertible elevator for trucks



Aug. 7, 1945. I smofls 2,381,780

CONVERTIBLE ELEvATpR FOR TRUCKS Filed Jul'y'2 2; 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Aug. 7, 1945. a, amous: I 2,381,78Q

' CONVERTIBLE ELEVATOR FOR TRUCKS -Fi led Jul '22, 1944 zshe' t-sherz Q Q I0.

I INVENTOR. Glenn 51777005 Arron/var Patented Aug. 7, 1945 UNITE stares PATENT OFFICE 2,381,780 ooNvER'TiBLE ELEVATOR Foit'rnUcKs I Glenn Simons, Larralieaiotva ApplicationJuly 22 1944, Serial No. 546,163 (Cl.- 214-- 83) ,7 ZgClaims.

My invention pertains'to an elevator which can be-attached to standard trucks.

An object of my invention is to provide an elevatorwhich is pivoted'to one side of atriick bodyjand which can be earrieddninoperative position substantially parallel to the truck body and which can then be placed in substantially vertical position'for operation.

A further object army: invention is toprovide an elevator whichcanbe usedto empty the truck box of grain and, elevate the same, and then discharge thegrain into bins; adjacent. to the truck. A further object of my invention is to provide such an elevator which can also be usedfor filling the truck box with grain.

A further object of my invention isto provide an interchangeable arrangement which will allow the same elevator to perform-both of the; above mentioned functions of discharging the truck of grain and of filling the same. I

A. further object of my invention is to, provide a device which 103,11; be, powered from the power take-oft of the truck; e r

A further object of my invention is toprovide an elevator which can be filled at the; bottom thereof ,and which Will -then convey theg-rain upwardly and. into the truck box. Y

,A further object of; my invention is to provide detachableparts to perform the above functions, whiehdetachableparts will not be in the way when the elevator is not used.

A, further objectof my inventionis to provide the, above mentioned objects in a simple construction requiring -veryHlittle spac'e and very little Weight.v V f V a With these and othertobjects in view, my invention consists the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of my device, wherebyi the objects contemplated are for driving the levator, and taken substantially along the lines- 3-- 3 ofFi'gure 5,

, Figure 4- is-a detail of an upper end of the elevator,

Figure 5 is a detail taken along the linesli i of Figure 2, an

, i 'igure 6 is a-seetio'n taken along the lines- Be tof Figure-5 with the exception that the closure plate is attached instead of the filling tube.

-My" invention contemplates the provision of a small elevator unit which can be attached to a truck which will greatly simplify the operation of emptying the truck or fillin'g the same, eliminating the use of a g'reatdeal' of manual labor otherwise necessary. 7'

Ihave used the character Hi to designate one side of'a truck box, character II the other side, and character IS, the base. The box is carried on the usual supports l3 which comprise the framework of the truck, the hood'of which is indicated by the character M, the forward wheels by the character 15, and the rearward wheels by the character [6, and the cab by the character l1; Pivotally attached to the side In of the truck is the elevator enclosure I8 which is rectangular in shape and of substantial height, which is attached to the substantialpinlil which is received'i-n a suitable boss 20 and which pin I9 is secured at 2 i, and which construction allows pivoting of the entire elevator casing l8.

Suitably journalled at th upper end of the easingis the shaft 22 which is" attached to the centi-ally arranged sprocket 23 over which passes the chain =24. Attached to" the chain 24 are a series of small cup-shaped buckets 25 used for elevating the grain." Communicating with the upper end'o-f the casing IB' is the substantially horizontal portion 26 which terminates in the downwardly-extending neck 21 which is received withintheportion 28 of the discharge spout 29. The connection at'28f permits the discharge spout to be positioned outwardly of the truck, as shownin Figured by the solid lines, or inwardly toward the truch box, as shown by the dotted lines.

'Journalled atthe lower end of the elevator casing I8 is thefurther shaft V3!?! to which is attachedthe centrally arranged sprocket 3| over I which passes ,the aforesaid belt 21. The casing f8 in ludes the lowerexpan-ded portion 3| which portion-3i receives an indented door 32 which includes the handle'33, the door 32 being snugly engaged with the perimetral outwardly extending flanges, 34, thedo'or 32' including the sides 35 to, provide a; snug engagementwith the flanges 3:4. shaft '30' terminates in the outer square portion 36 which is receivedwithin the square sockftSl which is attached, to the small shaft 38"whic'hshaft, turn, isattach'ed to .a universal J'Oi IltJ'S j'O'i'nt isattached tothe shaft-f0. 'Atta'chedat 4| at the upper end of the shaft. is the univjersal joint 42 which is also attached to the small stub shaft 64. A removable pin 43 passes through the socket 31 and the portion 36. The shaft 44 includes the collar 45, and the shaft 44 is supported by means of the bearing 46 which is attached to the bracket 41 which is supported from the base of the box. Attached at the end of the shaft 44' is the bevel gear 48 which meshes with the further bevel gear 49 which bevel gear is attached to the power take-off shaft 50 of the truck.

Slidably engagedabove the truck base 12 is a rod which includes the handle 52;;a 'nd'th'e'stop member'53. The rod'5l is attachedto a plate '54.

Positioned substantially centrally of the truck box is the opening 55 which communicates with"-"' a substantially arcuate tapering funneljfi, which is attached at 51 to the base I 2.

v Hinged at 5 to the funnel 56 is a further elongatedtapering" funnel or tube 59 which terminates inthe flange;

municates with the portion 3| of the-elevator through the opening 6|. Arranged about the opening 6| are a seriesi of studs 62 and the'fiange 86 includes suitable openings for receiving'the studs 62 upon which studs arescrew'd the nuts 63 for attaching the lowerend of the tube-59 to the elevator. The shaft can be journalled outwardly on anextendi'ng bracket. 64 .orzany other construction can be used.

Pivotally secured at 65 is the ll-shaped member 66 having the outwardly projecting prongs so that when it is desired to retain the conveyor or elevator member l8.in vertical'position, the prongs are pivoted outwardly to the position shown in Figure 2, thereby retaining the elevator in fixed position. Similarly, a further, U-shaped member 61 is pivoted at 68 (see Figure. l) to the side ll] of the truck box so that when theelevator I8 is swung to the horizontal position, or when it is not in use, the U-shaped member 6! can be swung outwardly in the same manner to retain the elevator. in horizontal position. The U shaped members are frictionally engaged with the pivoting points so that they will remain in fixed position. c

The operation of the arrangement is as fol-, lows. As explained above, when the truck is traveling, the elevator is in the horizontal. position and is completely out of the way. Also,

when the truck is transporting grain, etc., the.

tube 59is pulled upwardly by pivoting it at the hinge 58 and can be attached toa small hook at 69 so that it will not project downwardly and will be completely out of the way. When it is desired to empty the truck box, the elevator is brought to the vertical position after the bracket 61 is socket 38 and 31; the socket 31 is then placed over the squared end 36 and the pin 43 is passed through these members. This forms the driving arrangement, since the power take-off bevel gear 49 drives the further bevel gear 48 which, through the shaft 40, the universal joints 39 and 42, and the socket 31, will drive the shaft 30. Next, the handle 52 which is attached to the rod 5| is pulled outwardly until the stop member 53 strikes adjacently to the wall l which brings the plate 54 beyond thl ppningjiwhich communicates'with the funnel 56'a'nd the" tube 59, leaving the opening unrestricted.

' "During driving of the power arrangement the grain will 'then gravitate centrally through the tube, into the lower housing 3| and will then be conveyed upwardly by the buckets 25 and into the portionflt and the spout 29 and thence outwar'dly into the receiving bin which is positioned adjacently to the truck. The spout 29, during this operation, ofcourse, is. positioned outwardly as shown by the solid linesin Figure ;2, and as explained heretofore. Inthosecases where it is desired to fill the truck'box with grain, thetube 59 is left in the upper s'upported pjosition, and the rod 5! is placedi'n normal position, and'the spout 29 "is turned about the nec -2 0mm it points inwardly toward the box. Theaf oresa'id plate 10 is then attached to'the openingffilfior is left remaining in this position', and the door 32 is removed by means of the handle 33'. The grain is then shoveled or fed froma bin into the expanded opening 3| directly into the lower end of the conveyor, so that the grain" will-be elevated and deposited into the truckboxi' After use; the pin 43 can be removed-and the shaft! and the shaft 38 can be pivoted upwardly and attached as explained heretofore, to an' outer lower portion of the truck.- After this'operation the entire conveyor l8 can be swung to horizontal position'and out of the way. The truck can then-be driven to'any point for deliverying' or picking up grain as explained, 'with a' relatively light and "small elevator attached thereto readyto perform the necessary operations, I i v It will now be seen: that I haveprovided an elevator fortrucks-which is pivoted to one side of a truck bodyandwhich can perform all of the operations asmentioned in the objects of my invention, and it will be seen furtherthat I have provided other advantages readily apparent.

released therefrom, andfthe bracket 66 is brought to the outwardlyextending position. A platen) which is used to cover the opening 6| is then removed by removing the nuts 63 from the studs 62. The flange which isf'an'integral part of the tube 59 is then placed'with the openings therein over the studs 62 and the tube 59, after being swung down to the filling positionas shown by the solid lines in Figure 2, is then attached to the opening 6| in this manner, and thenuts 63 are again screwed onto the studs.

The elevator is driven by means of the shaft 46, and when the shaft 40 is not in useit can be swung upwardly with the lower socket 21 hooked to an accessible place at the bottom of of the truck similar to the arrangement shown wherein the tube 59'is used thereto. The universal joint at 42 will allow such attachment, 'and when the shaft is tofbeiused, 'it i'sjswung down carrying the joint 39 "and, the f small shaft and Some changes may bemade-in the construc tion and arrangement of theiparts of my-invention without departing from'the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it i'sJmy intention to cover by my claims any modified "forms of structureor use of mechanical equivalentswhich may bereasonably. included within their scope I claim as my invention:

1. Incombination with a truck box, an elevating. conveyor pivotally attached to one side .of the box, means ;for pivoting said conveyor to vertical position, means communicating from the bottom of said box to the bottomoi; said conveyor to transfer material from saidbox thereto, v including a lower funnel tube, said: box havingan opening communicating-with said tubeymeans for driving saidelevator from the truck powerake ff. mea v f r .se q y; fil in z aidptm k box including an outer; door attached at the lower nd Qf d. convey, p n o id or "pr viding means for depositing material therein and conveying such material upwardly, the upper end of said conveyor including a reversible; spout t ched. her fo wa n ra n efw fd into said box, a slidabl'e member slidably engaged veyor to transfer material from said box thereto, with the base of said truck box adapted to open including a lower funnel tube, said box having said opening when moved outwardly, an opening communicating with said tube, said 2. In combination with a truck box, an e1evatlower funnel tube including a lower hinged poring conveyor pivotally attached to one side of 5 tion, means for supporting said hinged portion the box, means for pivoting said conveyor to in upper position. vertical position, means communicating from the GLENN SIMONS. bottom of said box to the bottom of said con- 1 

